I like stitching!

Patrice Lemée

Patrice Lemée

Joined
Aug 13, 2002
Messages
5,703
As much as I am not a big fan of sheath work, one part of it that I like is stitching. Something relaxing about it. (Of course after one sheath, that's enough relaxing for a while). Probably also because it is not as complicated as the rest of it. Don't get me wrong, it takes work and patience to do it right and I am still working at improving mine.

The small press in the picture is a big help compared to punching holes and I would suggest to anyone interested in improving their stitching to get one. Easy and cheap enough to make.


stitching1.jpg



stitching2.jpg



Thanks for looking.
 
Looks like some nice clean stitching right there Patrice!:thumbup:

I want to expand my skill set to include leather work. I love kydex sheaths, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to make a leather sheath for some of my nicer blades. I like what you're doing here.
 
That's weird, the part I hate most about sheathes is the stitching. Luckily, my fiance has both the skill and patience to do it well.

I would welcome your thoughts and input, and more pics, on that hole-punching rig! I often have touble keeping holes straight and perpendicular, when using a bit or awl in my drill press.
 
+1 More pics of the PatLemeeHolePunchie-ma-jiggie !

Always looking for a better mouse trap.

-Josh
 
+3 If for no other reason (and there are others) I want to understand the apparent tilt of that needle/awl/bit. And of course, we want to see the rest of the sheath come together too. :)
 
I just want to help you out so Ill be sending all my stitching to you so you can relax and live a more peaceful life! lol +4 on the jig!
 
Thanks guys, I'll get a few pics of the punch tonight.

Phil, after a lot of trial and error I found that a slight tilt of the needle helped with the punching for some reason. Of course it has to be very small or else it'll give you crooked holes. If possible it should be between 2 and 3 degrees and in line with your stitch line. Ok, not really, the hole was just too big for the needle and I had to shim as best I could to get it straight. ;)

Sadly William, after one sheath it has the opposite effect. ;)
 
I have been using a Dremel tool with a small drill bit in a stand that converts the Dremel into a mini drill press with success. I do believe a punched hole would be some what tighter.
 
Beautiful stitching Patrice!

Before the machine, I used to use a dremel free hand. I found that I could keep the holes straighter when I could look at the drilling angle from all sides. I found that in a drill press it was too easy to have the hole wander off and make the back look like a dog's breakfast.

I never liked hand stitching too much. The thread digging into my fingers from pulling it tight.. It takes a while to get a good callous there.
 
Thats about as excellent as it gets Patrice. Done the drill press thing for many
years, then about the time I mostly quit making fixed blades I bought a Tippman
Boss. I love it and use it for sewing all manner of stuff. I always used to consider
sheathmaking a necessary evil. But on the next thought you have to somewhat
like something to get to be good at it.
Ken.
 
SBranson said:
Beautiful stitching Patrice!

Before the machine, I used to use a dremel free hand. I found that I could keep the holes straighter when I could look at the drilling angle from all sides. I found that in a drill press it was too easy to have the hole wander off and make the back look like a dog's breakfast.

I never liked hand stitching too much. The thread digging into my fingers from pulling it tight.. It takes a while to get a good callous there.
Click to expand...

It took me a while to figure out how to keep my holes straight. Very important to drill the hole with the piece as flat as possible. I lightly glue everything in place and I quit sewing the belt loop before drilling the sides.
 
Yeah, I kept trying to keep it flat but like you said, that causes issues with the belt loop. Plus, using a very small drill bit, it has a tendency to follow where the leather sends it. Not that it was terrible but to get it to hit the stitch groove on the back side was not as guaranteed as when doing it free hand.
 
what is that little press? never seen anything like it. looks kind of like a tiny arbor press.
 
I take it all back, I HATE stitching. :grumpy: I've always done pouch sheaths but this one is sewn all around so I need what feels like a miles and a half of thread. Then, I break the thread almost halfway through. Undo it all and start over. Break the thread again about a quarter through this time when I pinched it with the pliers pulling the second needle through. So back at it a third time and this time I break not one but two needles again with the pliers. Left it there for now. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. :(

Stuart, the back does look like the the dog's breakfast as you say. :( I have a couple of cut up leather glove fingers where I pull the thread. Gotta keep my dainty hands. :)
Did you buy a Tipmann like Ken? They are not cheap if I am not mistaken.

I have so many other tools I need to buy I would rather not have to buy a stitcher but I may have to. Like Ken said, I am not crazy about sheath work so I will never become any good at it. Maybe a stitching machine would help me like it a little more? But then again many of the knives I want to build are more likely to be displayed than worn. And some would need a scabbard (hard sheath?) more than a leather sheath. Nothing is ever simple it seems.

Here are the promised press pics. It's made with a press used for watches if I am not mistaken. You don't need that much force. This one is small and will easily go through 3 layers of 10-12 ounce leather with a blunt needle.

stitching3.jpg


stitching4.jpg


stitching5.jpg


The belt loop does make it harder to keep things straight.Jim, how do you do it without stitching the belt loop before hand?

Thanks for good words. Pics of the finished sheath to come later in the week.
 
Nifty little machine! I don't think I have ever seen one like that.

Pat what are using for thread? Five cord linen is some of the best strong and once waxed it is hard to break.

Are you waxing your thread that helps to keep it from fraying as well as making it easier to pull! A little bees wax and pitch makes a good blend.I melt them together. You can get the pitch or pine tar at your local tack store, they use it on horses holves. A little of the pine tar/pitch makes the bees wax sticker and tougher.

I never use pliers to pull a needle anymore, I use my hands with a gloved finger. Here is a link, note the glove in the pic when it opens. It keeps the thread from cutting into the fingers as well as allowing for a tight pull. I am not sure if it is this one or not but there is one of these tutorials that explains what and how to handle broken thread or not enough thread. Basically you tie off and drop back a stitch or two and start again, that interlocks the old stitching. Done right it is not visible unless you really study it!

Good luck and hey they get easier as you go and too me there is nothing like looking at a knife you made in a sheath you made!

OH, and too answer your question most of the time the belt loop is stitched beforehand depending on the sheath. Its like building a knife somethings just work better in a certain order!
 
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Pat,

If your breaking thread with regularity your either A. not using quality thread or B. Just pulling it too darn tight. There's no need to kill it. Nice and snug is all that's needed. If you want your stitch recessed more just cut your groove deeper.

Also- I'm a big fan of doing the saddle stitch with only one needle. Start on the side you wish to finish on. I usually start on the welt/edge side but it's your choice. Anyway, here's what I do-

1. Start in the second hole and come through from the back side and out the front leaving a few inches of tail hanging out the back side in hole #2.

2. Go through hole #1 from front to back then continue the stitch all the way around

3. I always put a double stitch in the last hole on the opposite side. Bottom of the sheath for a pouch, top of the welt on the spine side for a 3 piece construction.

4. Stich back around to the beginning and again make an extra stitch in the first hole so your thread with needle is now comming out the back side of hole #1.

5. Snip your needle thread off of hole #1 and your tail off hole #2 and melt in the ends. This way your only melting one thread in each spot, everything is locked in, and you dont end up with a giant melty blob or any melty blobs on the front side of the sheath. Two teeny melty blobs on the back side only and hardly noticible unless your looking for it. Simple, Clean, Functional

This method is the same stitch as doing the saddle stitch with a needle on each end of the thread but it's FAR quicker and easier to do. The first trip around you won't need pliers, gloves, or anything else for. The needle and single thread will go right through unless you've got a really stacked up welt that's very thick.

Give it a try, You'll love doing it this way !

Here's how to circumvent the belt loop issue-

Those of us still using the archaic drill press method for our holes should be using something on the drill press table as a backer board while making the holes. Generally just some scrap wood but whatever works for ya. Cut a long notch into the end your backerboard thats a little longer and wider than you typical belt loop. This way when you lay your sheath on the backerboard the belt loop will be "recessed" laying down in the notch and the welt will be flat against and parallel with the backerboard. With this method the sheath stays put in it's place on the backerboard and the backerboard is moved around to drill the holes.

Pat, You may have a clearance issue with your genious hole punch set-up for the belt loop thing. Maybe a shorter awl would work or a press with a taller throat ???.

I've been wanting an arbor press for awhile now. Your contraption here may just inspire me to pull the trigger on one to see what I can come up with ! Thanks for posting it

-Josh
 
Here's a little trick I learned from an old saddle maker years ago. After waxing your thread burnish it with a piece of paper bag. It seems to help the thread slip through your holes a little better and you don't break it as often.
 
ib2v4u said:
It took me a while to figure out how to keep my holes straight. Very important to drill the hole with the piece as flat as possible. I lightly glue everything in place and I quit sewing the belt loop before drilling the sides.
Click to expand...
Patrice Lemée;10586726 said:
The belt loop does make it harder to keep things straight.Jim, how do you do it without stitching the belt loop before hand?
Click to expand...
My guess is, he assembles the sheath (lightly glues) and drills it's holes, disassembles and attaches belt loop to back, then reassembles and stitches?
 
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